After a crazy week full of deadlines, today is feeling more relaxed. I ran across the street this morning early and picked out my first birthday flowers (Thank you, Tim). My mother in law gave me “The Art of Floral Arranging” by Elieen Johnson for Christmas, which I’d asked for since I’ve always felt like I was missing something critical about arranging flowers. One helpful tip from Johson’s book is to “tie” the arrangement with clear hair elastics (from Goody’s, available at any CVS/Duane Reade/drugstore).

It holds the arrangement together in a nice way, right?

UPDATE: I spent the morning catching up on magazine reading (yum) and was shocked to learn via Martha Stewart Living that if you mix daffodils in with other cut flowers, the sap of the daffodils will “poison” the other flowers and cause them to wilt. Given that I just made a bouquet with lots of daffodils, I double timed it across the room and pulled them out. Filed in: flower facts.

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Chairs are everywhere these days (here and here).  How excellent is this chair wallpaper from Deborah Bowness?

And, how radical is this “bookshelf” wallpaper, also from Deborah?

Where’s my scouting eye these days?  Vintage prints and children’s stationary.

Two vintage egg prints…

And some cute as a button vintage children’s stationary.

I saw this photo on Apartment Therapy (Jill’s in Copenhagen, lucky duck) and just realized that the dry skin, chapped lips, pasty skin, vitamin D defincency WILL come to an end. Well, hallaullah!

Thanks, AT, for the hope.

Back in September I blogged about our entry way, and that it was in dire need of some attention. Well, give a girl six months…. I love where we ended up:

What did we change? Not too much, but just enough. Recycling and a place to hang coats and put umbrellas were the most critical needs. The coat rack is from Urban Outfitters ($68), the umbrella stand is via ebay ($40) [similar one on ebay here] and the console is the old west elm desk from the original picture, but turned around. After looking at more recycling containers than I can image, I finally picked up two discarded wine crates from in front of the fancy wine store three blocks away. I love that they are a non-plastic “recycled” place to put the recycling. If I even get around to decoupaging anything, I may decoupage them with some of the Marta Stewart faux bois wrapping paper I bought at Micheal’s for $1 a roll in N.C over Christmas. You’ve got to give a girl her dreams.

I can’t take any credit for turning around the console, that was 100% Tim’s genius. I actually think it works, and doesn’t seem to “Design on a Dime.” The bamboo is a gift from all my former co-workers, and used to grace my office. I’m glad its found such a lovely home in my entry way. Let’s see, what else? The brass letter holder is intended for sale in my Etsy shop but it’s resting in our home for awhile (occupational hazard). The lovely shaker inspired tray was a wedding gift.

I just found this snippet from Lucky Magazine in my scanner — I was planning on posting about it months ago. I’ve noticed that I’m drawn to letters and numbers recently. I like this collection for its funky combo of the two!

A friend sent me this post from AT:New York and wondered how she might recreate it for herself. As a lover of multiples, I’m not opposed to this, although I think they might be nicer as a photowall (i’m like dog with a bone). Or, maybe I wouldn’t mind this if they weren’t mirrors? Maybe if they were photos? Or found things (like old polarids or letters or something). I spied these frames on Ebay (currently $9.99 but act quickly, the action ends at 11am Tuesday morning! that sold for a mere $11 dollars!) and thought maybe with a glue fun she should have a go at it. Or, someone else should grab them up for a photowall of their own.

I recieved a lovely email from a reader over the weekend raving about mokki cottages and she even sent a picture of her parents’ mokki:

She writes:

I grew up in Finland and I have spent so many wonderful summer days and endless midsummer nights near a lake or bay enjoying the peace and quiet of a mokki! It is something extraordinary; to give up electricity and many times running water, to spend a weekend or even a week far away from the busy modern life.

I have to say that ‘endless midsummer nights’ sound pretty wonderful to me.  Thanks for sharing Minna!  Any other cottages out there you’d like to share, dear readers?

Good morning! I’m eating oat bran with fresh blackberries (my current obsession) and cruising around the web. Spied this cheery fruit themed pitcher set on Etsy for $18 from Sea Glass Vintage.

I’m off to the library shortly because I’ve been avoiding school work in favor of having lunches with great conversations and hanging out with my sister.

I hope you all have great weekends.

I have far too many half-baked ideas — and the craft supplies to match — languishing in the back drawers. The decoupage projects. The quilt I started 6 years ago. The framing projects (vintage snapshots, stamps, matchboxes). I’m sure I’m not alone in this creative pack-ratting.

Last week, as I was pondering this part of my identity, and thinking about the year ahead (no small amount of introspection going on at Design Scouting HQ), I pronounced that 2008 will be my year to finish projects. It’s just a satisfying concept, right? Imagine a huge pile of complete projects come this time next year. I’m lovin’ it.

(more…)

This NYTimes article about a retiree who builds a Finish “mokki” or backyard cottage so he’ll have some personal space is fantastic. It contains so many truths about marriage, personal space and love. The most honest part of the piece is a discussion of personal space and the writer reveals that his wife, when they had young kids, would lock herself in the bathroom to have some alone time to read (and her children could communicate with her via written note pushed under the locked door). Sweetly, decades later, his wife still goes into the bathroom to read. Can’t we all understand this need for alone time, for personal space? And, over the years with tiny apartments or too many roommates, I too have turned to the bathroom for privacy on the phone, as a refuge when I need alone time. Still, a backyard cottage beats the bathroom any day.

I’m still on a zen kick, as it where, and love how simple these spaces are. I found a couple of more:

(last image via )

So, i’m developing an obsession with kitchen nooks… I love how clean and bright, how cheery but zen this room is. I’m in need of a get away from my own taste, I think. And, I love those Wegner Wishbone chairs. (via 2 or 3 things I knew… )

Then, check out the exterior of this house….delicious!

(Via Fernlund + Logan Architects)

Vintage tea caddy (currently $5).

I’m super pleased to introduce P.O.S.H (the Chicago based home & table decor company) as Abbey Goes Design Scouting’s first sponsor! I first discovered P.O.S.H a couple of months ago and was so flattered when they then contacted me and inquired about becoming a sponsor. I love their fantastic vintage aesthetic and mix of vintage and vintage inspired items like this set of four “Love and Happiness” glasses.

These are a perfect bridal shower gift, right? All the right sentiments. And, at $40, a nice price point too. Of course, I’m well past my bridal shower, and would still love them, so maybe I’ll broaden the statement to these are just a lovely gift for someone you wish all the love and happiness in the world to.

In any case, I’m happy to have them on board and hope that you’ll enjoy discovering them as much as I have.

So what was the big birthday secret? Tim was making me 52 envelopes, each with a love note and a bit of cash to buy fresh flowers from our neighborhood flower stand every week this year. It was such a thoughtful and perfect gift for a girl turning 29.

How fantastic is this 1960’s-vintage San Francisco Viewmaster reel shot of a flower stand and lovely retro lady in red? I found via Olivander’s Flickr stream.